Justin Tucker, LHBC Worship Pastor

Isaiah 43:1-2

Now this is what the Lord says – the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel – “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you.

So let the redeemed of the Lord say so

Sing of His promises ever more

Pour out your thankfulness, let it overflow

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so

As 2022 has begun, I have been praying about what God wants to show me this year and how He would reveal Himself to me and allow me to experience Him in new ways. In my quiet time these verses and this song have continued to come up. While these promises are definitely in context of God’s promise to Israel, I believe that we can cling to them still today. I find so much comfort in these promises and I hope you do too.

The first promise is that God knows us intimately. He knows every fiber of our being. Psalm 139 says,”For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Of course He knows us on such a deep level of intimacy, He created us. Not only did He create us, He also created a plan for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). He knows our dreams, our hopes, our hurts. He knows all the things that we keep in the deepest recesses of our hearts and He longs for us to want to know Him at that same level of intimacy.

The next promise I see in this passage is that He “redeemed” me. We use this word in Christianity a lot but do we really understand what that word means? The Hebrew word used in this text is “ga’al”. It means to pay a  ransom. This means that He bought us back. He paid the ransom for us with the blood of Jesus. The fact that He knows us so intimately makes it all the more amazing. The one who knows all of my doubts, fears, shortcomings, and sins… still found us worth redeeming. He looked down and instead of seeing my junk, He saw me as His own. Wow! 

Finally, when life gets hard, when my kids are driving me crazy, when I don’t know how I’m going to get through a difficult season or situation…the promise that  I will not be overcome because He is with me is so very comforting. Jesus says in John 16, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” Jesus tells us to be courageous because He will be in it with us. 

God is a keeper of His promises. His track record is perfect. I hope today that you can look at this passage and be encouraged. God knows you and he desires for you to know Him and trust that He has a perfect plan for your life. God values you. He valued you so much that He ransomed His son for you. See yourself today through His eyes, as someone who is worth it. Be encouraged by His presence. No matter what you are facing today, big or small, good or bad, He is present. Rest in those promises today.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Thank you for the promises, God. Thank you for finding me worthy of redemption when there was nothing redeemable about me. Thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus whose blood paid the ransom for my sin. Thank you for the promise of Your presence in all of life’s situations. Thank you that your strength is made perfect in my weakness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

    and do not lean on your own understanding.

 In all your ways acknowledge him,

    and he will make straight your paths.